Hello everyone. I have been absent for the past while from my blog and for that I truly apologize to you all. Life has been a bit interesting for me and I think I should explain this absence. I have been off having some surgery! Eye surgery...
As we get older, our bodies seem to not keep up with the demands we still place on it [sheesh - isn't that, an understatement!]. The first thing I noticed with myself was actually a double whamy! My knees from years of abuse were starting to act up and fail me in particular instances. Nothing more serious than torn meniscus sacks between the caps and joints. Okay..., serious enough that you start to loose strength in your knees and Stair-Masters are out! Gone were the days where I believed that I could actually continue to do the stunts you see in movies [well maybe I am a little touched upstairs! Lol]. One thing I use to love to do - my one parlor trick; was to stand at the edge of my deck, which sits at exactly 40", and without the use of another step or my hands, spring jump onto the top of my deck and land on my feet. Yeah..., I now carry scars along my shins from my last heroic efforts! Lol. That was my final attempt at my youth. It was definitely encouraged by a few brews but what the hey..., it was a little less painful at the time! My knees were definitely a factor in this little stunt.
So - my knees are now scheduled for surgery to repair the years of abuse. That will be June 18th. [Don't tell anyone, but I'll probably start that nonsense up again! lol!].
The next aspect of my failing youth, comes in the form of my eyes. Yup, happens to most of us but regardless; in saying that, it doesn't make it any less of a nuisance or contain any less regret. Growing old is not a great thing! So let's cut the bullshit! Even with working out at the gym and staying fit - it sneaks up on you and slaps you upside the head, Hard!
The year I turned 40 was the first time I could no longer see anything close up. Now that was alarming! This revelation first came to me on Christmas eave while I was trying to repair a roof top unit for one of my suppliers. The heat was off and they needed it fixed before anyone could go home for the holidays. There was a beautiful heavy snowfall that year and as I had my head stuffed inside the pitch black blower compartment of this heating unit, I wrestled with my flashlight in hand and finding a motor rating plate. It was then, that I discovered I could no longer read the bloody plate to assess what I needed for the new motor! After trying my best to push the rear steel panel out of the way with the back of my head, I gave up and used a mirror to read the plate allowing the distance I needed to see it. Yup - it was backwards to boot! Lol. Day one of becoming blind. My life was changed that day.
That is where my journey began on the road to new eyes.
My correction, is that I can see [rather could at least] at a distance but couldn't read. That washed out the prospect of laser surgery. Leaving only two choices. Live with a life of glasses or have new lens installed in my eyes. For me - there was only one option.
Knowing that Dr. Robert Mitchell was the pioneer in Canada for all procedures, left no other choices for who the surgeon would be. Now it just came down to me. So with my stomach in my throat and nerves of spaghetti noodles, off I went for my first consultation. Still it was a no brainer but I have to tell you, the idea of someone digging inside my eyeball was pretty hard to take! I actually took another nine months before I went back and booked the actual surgery. Yeah, okay..., I'm not ALL that brave! Seriously... someone routing around in your eye!?! I don't think so. Not without some major hesitation and soil searching. What if...
The surgery itself, finally took place, and was very successful; also, rather painless. They only freeze the eye and then you get to watch while an incredibly bright light blinds you. This is the one time, they want you to "Go to the light"! Lol. In a manner of speaking. You do however see the cornea being removed and lifted away and the eye. Now THAT, is a freaky experience! Although you are told to continue staring in one direction - at the light - you're eye all of a sudden, starts to going crazy as it's looking everywhere!!! Lol. [okay..., only laughing now!] That is when the lens is being removed. It is rather alarming but it stops very soon and then, as with the cornea, you see it float away into a blurry oblivion. At this point, you get to relax as the new lens is inserted and the cornea returned to it's proper place. All total - only about 40 minutes in the surgical ward. Not too shabby. The whole procedure from start to finish is only an hour and a half, and that includes the pre-op dilation and prep.
Now that the second eye has been done three weeks later, I can finally focus properly and see rather well. My surgery was elective so I purchased the top of the line lens. Yup, they are not all the same. Cataract surgeries only get the basic lens which is covered by health care here in Canada. That lens is for distance only and not designed to allow for much lens flexibility or adjustment in the future. You basically have to have reading glasses after the surgery. The middle lens is not used as it's an intermediate lens and not much more value for the cost. The last lens, and the one I selected, allows for re-training the eye to work just like your baby blues were when you were a kid. Full adjustment from reading to distance and..., this part is cool, the night is not so dark anymore! That is something I was really blown away by!
So if any of you folks are thinking about this type of surgery, don't hesitate. It is expensive when it is elective so be prepared! 10K to be exact! My personal thoughts however, it's your life and your eyes lead the way in your journey. Make the most of it. If you are getting cataract surgery and if you can afford it, do the upgrade; it's well worth the money spent. The government here covers [I believe, if I remember correct] $1,500 per eye. That's the basic lens.
Now I have been asked this questions a bunch of times - does it hurt? Not much during the surgery. More of a mild pain twice during the actual surgery. After all, they can't really freeze the inside of your eyeball. [I won't go into details at this point]. After the surgery - not much either. More an irritation from being itchy and you want to rub it; which you can't. Other than that, that's about it! With each passing day, my eyes are getting stronger and clearer. In another two weeks I can begin the training process and life will begin anew.
Hope you found this little segment interesting. It's not something that we cross in our lives until we are very much older and with eye problems. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to have this surgery done now, at this stage in my life so I can now explore a whole new world without the cumbersomeness of glasses. Many thanks to each of you who have taken the time and read this little story and I hope you have found it interesting and educational. It sure was for me,
Take care and God speed on your journey through this life.
Trip...
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